Chapter two

I opened my eyes and, realizing I was alone in the room, came to the grim realization that it had all just been a dream. I had spent the entire night lying in the study, and not a single member of the Blackwood family had cared about my well-being. If it weren’t for my good fortune, I might have died in this study last night.

The suffocating and painful sensations from the dream still haunted me, and the indifference of the Blackwood family chilled my heart once again.

Outside, I could hear the voices of Margaret Blackwood and Isabella Blackwood.

“I saw she lost a lot of blood. If she hasn’t woken up by now, could she be... dead?”

“Ha! If she’s dead, it would clear the way for Scarlett, saving your brother the trouble.”

My heart twisted at the mention of that name.

No wonder Dominic Blackwood had been home so little lately; his first love, Scarlett Hayes, had returned.

Even though Scarlett had been gone for three years, her name lingered in my ears like a haunting spell.

Every time Dominic was with me, he would insist I kneel, passionately calling out Scarlett Hayes’s name from behind.

Those three words felt like a knife, mercilessly slicing through my heart.

I felt a pang of unwillingness as I picked up my phone, trembling, and sent a message to Dominic Blackwood: “Dominic, did you go to Scarlett Hayes’s place again last night?”

Dominic Blackwood replied: “Vivian, don’t be pathetic.”

Ah, so that was an admission.

It was ridiculous; I had still fantasized about warming his heart, completely unaware that he had already moved on in secret.

My heart felt like it was being squeezed by iron wires, a raw, bloody pain coursing through me.

Suddenly, I thought how obedient this child was, knowing they shouldn’t have come into this world, so they chose to say goodbye in this way.

“Hahaha...”

I suddenly laughed, but tears streamed through my fingers.

This would be the last time I cried for Dominic Blackwood.

From now on, my tears would be dry, and my heart would be dead.

Margaret Blackwood and Isabella Blackwood heard the commotion and walked in. They froze when they saw me, my eyes bloodshot and laughing maniacally.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Hurry up and get back to cooking!”

“If you want to die, do it far away so you don’t drag the Blackwood family down with you.”

I glanced at Margaret and her daughter through my bloodshot eyes. “The meals I cooked before were just dog food. I won’t be wasting my kindness on you anymore because you don’t deserve it.”

“I won’t die, and I’ll stand in a place you can never reach, living well and thriving, making it impossible for you to touch me.”

Margaret Blackwood, used to my submissive and gentle demeanor, felt a surge of anger at hearing me speak with such reckless coldness.

“You little tramp, you’ve gone too far! Be careful, or I’ll make Dominic divorce you!”

I sneered, “Fine, even if you don’t say it, I’ll go find him myself.”

“Hah, don’t forget that you were the one who eagerly offered up that kidney, begging us to have Dominic marry you!”

Everyone in the Blackwood family knew how deeply I loved Dominic Blackwood. To put it bluntly, my love was as humble as that of a dog; if Dominic Blackwood merely beckoned with a finger, I would obediently crawl over to him.

Back then, I would have given up not just a kidney, but probably my life if he asked for it. Margaret was convinced that I wouldn’t easily give up such a hard-won marriage.

I brushed my cool brows and replied, “I was blind and foolish before, but not anymore.”

Margaret Blackwood was about to retort when I coldly interrupted, “Just get lost. Even looking at you makes me sick.”

She was fuming, ready to explode, when Isabella Blackwood pulled her out of the room.

My eyes, filled with a furious crimson, were downright terrifying, as if I were about to commit murder at any moment.

Margaret had never seen this side of me before.

“Mom, don’t you think Vivian is different from before?”

It was almost frightening; she had been completely intimidated by my presence just moments ago.

“That little brat has been off since yesterday. She must be having some kind of fit. Just wait until Dominic gets back; he’ll deal with her properly.”

Isabella lowered her voice, “Mom, do you think she discovered my brother’s secret?”

Margaret’s heart skipped a beat, but then she remembered that her son was a cautious person. He had even managed to keep secrets from their father, so how could he slip up in front of me?

“Mind your words, or you won’t be welcome in the Blackwood family anymore!”

Margaret quickly sent a message to Dominic Blackwood, embellishing my strange behavior for good measure.

Meanwhile, in my own room, I sent a text to Dominic Blackwood: “Dominic, we’re getting a divorce.”

After a long wait, I finally received a message from Dominic Blackwood: “What trick are you playing this time?”

Sure enough, he thought everything I did was just to grab his attention.

And he was right. In the past, I had been too submissive, too eager to please, which only gave him the courage to mistreat me.

But that was over now.

I stood up, quickly gathered my clothes, and grabbed my suitcase before heading downstairs.

Margaret Blackwood and her daughter were sitting on the couch, engrossed in a show. They both turned to look at me as they heard my footsteps.

“The chores aren’t done yet. Where do you think you’re off to?”

Too tired to play nice, I replied coldly, “Don’t touch my things. I’ll come back in a couple of days to collect them. If anything is damaged, don’t blame me for being rude!”

Margaret Blackwood fumed, “You little brat! Even if you beg me on your knees, I won’t let you back into this house!”

“Don’t worry, I’m not stupid enough to make the same mistake twice.

They stood there, stunned. They never expected the once timid and meek woman to be so sharp-tongued today.

What they didn’t know was that the obedient and gentle Vivian Carter had died long ago, along with that child on the operating table, and had also perished in the indifference of the Blackwood family the night before.

As I reached the door, I suddenly stopped in my tracks. “Ms. Blackwood, congratulations! You’re about to welcome a daughter-in-law who seems just right for you. But I must warn you, drinking too much saffron risotto can lead to infertility. Be careful, or the Blackwood family line might end.

Margaret Blackwood watched me leave, her emotions a tangled mess How did she know about the secret plans I’ve been keeping?

“Mom, she really left! Even though that woman is both foolish and clumsy, her cooking skills are impressive. It might be hard to find such delicious food in the future,” her son remarked.

Margaret gritted her teeth. “She’s just trying to get your brother’s attention in a different way. I bet she’ll be back in no time!”

To be honest, when it came to housework and cooking, this silly girl was quite to her liking.

I arrived at the Blackwood Family Group with two copies of the divorce agreement, only to be turned away by the security personnel.

The guard’s attitude was arrogant. “Sorry, miss, but we can’t let you in without a visitor’s pass.”

“I’m Mrs. Blackwood. Please tell Dominic Blackwood that I need to see him,” I insisted.

The security guard looked at me with disdain. “I haven’t heard that Dominic got married. Can you come up with a better excuse? We send women like you away every day.”

I let out a cold scoff. It was no wonder the other party looked down on me; my wedding to Dominic Blackwood had been a secret affair. On the day of the ceremony, he hadn’t even shown up. I had gone through all the rituals alone, holding our wedding photo.

Oh, that wedding photo had been edited too, because Dominic Blackwood had refused to be in the frame with me.

Only a handful of people in our circle knew about his marriage, and he had always treated it as a disgrace, never mentioning it to anyone.

Naturally, the number of people who recognized me as Mrs. Blackwood was very small.

Just as I was about to dial Dominic Blackwood’s number, a soft, mocking voice interrupted me, “Vivian, looking for Dominic? I can take you to him.”

That familiar voice sent a chill down my spine.